Miracles

It's taken me some time to get myself together enough to write this post. Everytime I begin to write, my heart overloads my brain and my face is flooded with tears. Maybe it's because this touches close to home? Yes. Maybe it's because I'm reminded of my own miracles? Yes. Maybe it's because I have a heart that feels the pain for my friends, even those I've never met? Yes. Maybe it's because I know the God I serve is an awesome God and answers prayers for those who trust and believe in Him? Yes.

All of the answers are yes but why does it seem so hard to write? Why do I get this lump form in my throat and have it followed by tears? It's difficult to explain emotion sometimes. All of us feel it but we all feel it in a different way.

Today is a special day.
Today is a day of prayer.
Today is when the entire world is asking God for a miracle.
Today the gates of Heaven have been bombarded with prayers of a miracle.
Today I share why we are making today special.

Two words....Ryan Schuhmacher.

I met Meri Schuhmacher online. We have something in common that brought us together. Type 1 Diabetes. Over the last few years, she's blogged about her daily life with diabetes. She's shared the tears, the joy and the overwhelming dread of being a parent of a diabetic child. Her situation is 3 times as worse as mine though. She has 4 boys and 3 of them are Type 1 diabetics. THREE TIMES everything that I go through just parenting ONE. I found comfort in her blog. She understood and wrote openly about crappy days. She wrote the tough stuff that we as parents try and put on a strong face and not let anyone see. We want those around us to think we have it all together and that we're really not one marble away from losing them all. But she did it, she wrote and poured her heart out to show the raw side of living with diabetes. She showed us that we CAN be strong, we CAN pull through and there IS a light at the end of that very dark tunnel on those bad diabetes days.

Last week, Meri and her husband Ryan received some devistating news. Ryan made a trip to the ER because he wasn't feeling well and there they were told that he had 6 tumors in his brain and it had spread to his lungs and abdomen. I saw the news on Facebook and began my unceasing prayer for them. I hadn't said anything to my family yet about it and I asked Kayleigh what verse she had in her pocket for the day because I was in need of a start. She pulled her paper out of her pocket and said, "My heart was heavy when I woke up and so I turned to Job 9:10 where it said "He does great things too marvelous to understand. He performs countless miracles." Keep in mind, she still had no idea about Ryan. I began to cry and told her about their situation and asked her to join me in prayer for them. I know her faith is strong enough to stand on the Word with me. I shared this verse with Wendy and continued my prayer for them.

Several D-Mommas and D-Peeps banded together to join in prayer and also began setting up a home base for them on Facebook.... The Schuhmacher Family Miracle and that led to the Give Forward page. The giving page has been set up to help their family with all of the upcoming stuff they are facing. Ryan has started his radiation treatments and with that comes trips to the hospital, copays, doctor visits, gas, meals, care for the boys, and all the other tough stuff. This fund will help ease this difficult time for them. If you can give, I encourage you to visit the page and give from your heart.

"But when you give to the needy, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, so that your giving may be in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you." ~ Matthew 6:3-4

"Honor the Lord with your wealth and with the firstfruits of all your produce; then your barns will be filled with plenty, and your vats will be bursting with wine." ~ Proverbs 3:9-10

As the day approached, I felt another verse tugging at me. Not only was Job 9:10 swirling continually in my head, but Matthew 21:22 popped back up.

"If you believe, you will receive whatever you ask for in prayer." ~ Matthew 21:22

as well as my favorite verse in the Bible:

"Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight." ~Proverbs 3:5-6

I knew what I had to do. I knew I had to stand strong in prayer for their family. I BELIEVE IN MIRACLES! We've had our fair share happen to our family. So I'm believing with all my heart that God has a plan for Ryan. He is bringing him to this and He will bring him through this. Times are going to be rough. Times will probably get nasty. But I know in the end their family will be blessed with a miracle and Ryan will be giving his cancer free testimony for years to come. I've been blessed to witness the power of the online community in just a few short days. It overwhelms me to see the purple everywhere. It overwhelms me to see the outpour of love for someone many of us have never met but feel like we know as good as our best friend. DOC....YOU ARE AWESOME! I'm blessed to be a part of this! My prayers will not cease today nor will they until God blesses them with a miracle and then we can praise Him for a job well done.

I'd like to close with this... if you've been tossing around the idea IF there is a God, I'd like to leave you with a thought....Many of us have been blessed to receive a miracle of a child. Many of us are living with the miracle of modern medicine (insulin, insulin pumps, CGMS). Many of us had a child that was near death when they were diagnosed and another 24-48 hours that child could have been taken from us. Who are you thanking for these miracles and blessings? Who do you give praises to daily for waking up to see another day? My friend, it's not to late to know Jesus. It's not too late to receive his blessings and miracles. It's not too late to ask him to come into your heart and live your life for him.

The Schuhmachers are choosing FAITH. They are choosing HOPE. They are choosing LIFE. They WILL receive this miracle from the mighty powerful God I serve every single day. Ryan will be that walking testimony to show those who don't yet know Jesus that ....MIRACLES DO HAPPEN! He IS one!

Friends, I urge you to continue to pray for their family. I urge you to give to the fund with your heart. I urge you to show your support for them on the home page set up. They NEED our support! Just remind yourself, if the shoe was on the other foot, how would you feel? Would you know God to stand strong like they are? Would you want the entire DOC to band together and support your family? Show them your support them!

Meri & Ryan....Your miracle is coming! Hang in there and stay strong in faith. We love you!!!